


May I Have This Dance?

by KittyKat_68



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec likes the cello, Alternate Universe - Ballet, Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Dancer Magnus Bane, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Gay Alec Lightwood, Gay Male Character, Healthy Relationships, Insecure Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Is A Freewheeling Bisexual, Magnus Bane Is Quite Magical, Musician Alec Lightwood, Mutual Pining, POV Alec Lightwood, POV Magnus Bane, Pre-Relationship, Protective Isabelle Lightwood, Protective Siblings, Slow Burn, magnus is a dancer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-08 07:31:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12859767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyKat_68/pseuds/KittyKat_68
Summary: Human AU where Magnus Bane runs the NYC Ballet with Isabelle Lightwood as his star pupil and Alec as his orchestra director.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Summary:
> 
> Magnus is out an orchestra director, Izzy recommends Alec.

-Magnus-

Magnus is running around the building like a maniac. This is not an uncommon situation, but it is urgent, at least that's what he's telling himself. He's fuming, pushing everyone out of his path, as he makes his way to the orchestra room.

 

Upon arrival he jerks the door open, only soon enough to come eye to eye with who could only be considered his arch nemesis, at this point.

 

"What do you mean you quit!?" Magnus screeched, throwing his hands into the air.

 

"I mean that I quit. As in, I cease to work for this company any longer," Camille says, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

 

"Camille, you know we have opening night in only a few weeks. You can't possibly be leaving me without an orchestra director." Magnus says, hoping that she's just being over dramatic, as usual. "We are nearly to opening night for Swan Lake. We cannot possibly make it without you," he gushes, hoping flattery will get him everywhere.

 

"I'm sorry, darling. You'll just have to make do. I got a better offer and I couldn't say no," Camille says, stepping into Magnus' space.

 

He stepped away from her and turned to leave before thinking better and facing her once more. He looked at Camille, really looked at her. She was beautiful. Evil, yes, but also beautiful. Her pale porcelain skin had an eerie glow that was intensified by her emerald eyes.

 

"Can you at least stay until we've put on this production? Please, Camille. We've been doing this together for years and you've never known me to beg," Magnus informs her, reminiscing of the many, many years they've been in business together. They'd originally gone into this gig as an item. After things ended, on a rather sour note, Magnus might add, they continued as business partners. It worked for them. Well, it had, up until now.

 

"I'm sorry. I can't. I leave for Paris tomorrow," she says, not looking the least bit sorry.

 

"Can you at least send someone competent my way? After all I've done for you, you at least owe me that," Magnus spat at her, turning on his heel to return to his dancers.

 

"Magnus, is it true? Are we out an orchestra director two weeks before opening night?" Isabelle asked as soon as Magnus opened the door, a distraught look crossing her face.

 

"I'm afraid so, my sweet. I'm afraid so," Magnus replied, walking towards the stereo. He popped in a "Pop Hits For Ballet Class" CD and faced his company, a feeling of dread creep over him.

 

"I hate to say this to you all, but we are out an orchestra director. Camille is really putting the screws to me, and not in the good way," Magnus muttered, a scowl taking over his usually smooth features. "If any of you know of any competent directors that are available, even only temporary, I'd owe you my life."

 

"Um, my brother is a director," Isabelle said nervously. Magnus blanched at her tone of voice. Isabelle was never nervous. As the female lead in nearly all of the ballets she's ever performed in, she's never had room for nerves.

 

"I don't have much faith in that if your tone of voice says anything about his musical competence," Magnus said, with a more seething tone than he intended.

 

"He's competent." Isabelle said, a frown forming on her face. "Of course he's competent, Magnus. I wouldn't risk my career for someone incompetent," she spat, her sassy demeanor returning.

 

"If you could leave his information on my desk, I'd like to get in touch with him. If any of you know of anyone, please help me so that I can help you," Magnus said, turning towards the stereo once more. "Alright, get ready for warm ups."

 

The sound of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance- piano rendition- fills the room as the dancers begin their tendus. Magnus watches his dancers thoughtfully, his eyes always returning to Isabelle. She's tall and thin, like all ballet dancers, but she's also muscular. Her tan skin and Raven hair are nothing short of exotic when paired with her signature red lip. Isabelle Lightwood was a beauty to behold and Magnus was so glad he'd taken a chance on her when he stumbled upon her. He watched her gracefully go through the tendu exercise and he appreciated her seamless transition into the ronds de jambe exercise to the piano rendition of Adele's Set Fire to the Rain. Magnus peeled his eyes away from his star and glanced across the room, his eyes fixing on Raphael. Raphael always had this brooding look about him until he stepped on stage, that is. He danced beautifully and with perfect technique, no less. Magnus admired his hard work and couldn't imagine what his company would've become if he hadn't found Raphael. He and Isabelle worked so well together. That's why they were always his leading couple. They even had a fling for awhile but they never let it interfere with their work. Not even when they broke up.

 

Magnus' heart swelled with pride as he thought about his stars. He loved them so. He continued to watch his dancers line up for the grand jete exercise to Taylor Swift's I Knew You Were Trouble. His eyes settled on his newest addition. Maia was a diamond in the rough. She was becoming very talented after Magnus had taken her under his wing. She was graceful and beautiful, like a wolf on the prowl. She commanded a different kind of presence on stage. Where Isabelle was lithe, like a cat, Maia was graceful, like a bird soaring through the sky. She had a different kind of attitude about her and it influenced the way she danced. Originally, Magnus had tried to mold her into a dancer like Isabelle, but, inevitably, she took her own shape, and it was better than anything Magnus could've made her into on his own.

 

"Make sure those legs are straight," Magnus called out to his horde of dancers. He watched as some immediately straightened their limbs.

 

His dancers went through every warm up and every exercise, almost flawlessly, as they always did. As soon as the last note played of their jumping exercise tune, they got into their respective spots to rehearse. After many hours of rehearsal that was spent perfecting every little incorrect detail Magnus could find, he sent one of his extras off to fetch the athletic trainer they kept on site. A few moments later Jace Herondale strolled into the room, a line immediately forming. He pulled a chair from the closet and sat down, examining anything and everything presented to him. He wrapped and rewrapped ankles, wrists, and knees before sending many of them to ice their injuries.

 

"You're going to break your dancers if you keep working them like this," Jace said as he sidled up next to Magnus.

 

"I don't know what you're talking about. I let them leave early today," Magnus said innocently, eyeing his dancers that were filing out of the massive ballet room, one by one, through the small door.

 

"Ballet is an excruciating sport. Not as much for your male dancers but the females. Being on pointe for as long as they are isn't great for their bodies," Jace said, knowing it wouldn't make a difference. All of these dancers loved their art and would suffer for it to make sure they looked perfect.

 

"I'll try to take it a bit easier on them tomorrow. I'm just under a lot of stress at the moment. We lost our orchestra director and opening night is in two weeks. We haven't put on Swan Lake since I've taken over and I want it to be, no, I need it to be perfect," Magnus said, nervously.

 

He'd been in the ballet business for a long time, but he'd just taken over the New York City Ballet less than six months ago. He'd run a smaller company of his own in Brooklyn for five years prior to this. As soon as he'd had to retire dancing professionally, he'd started teaching. He taught lessons for a few years until he was asked to take over an amateur company. He'd taken that small company and turned it into his own personal empire. He'd become very well known and was soon offered the NYC Ballet. He'd been out of the game, professionally, for quite some time. Almost coming on eight years this winter. He had something to prove and he wasn't going to let anyone down. Swan Lake, being the classic that it is, had to be perfect. He and his dancers all knew that.

 

"You know Izzy's brother directs?" Jace said, offering a slight shrug.

 

"So I've heard," Magnus said, letting his fingers smooth over the frayed edges of his worn black Henley. He sat down and smoothed his hands over his leggings and placed his hands into the creases of his arched feet. He let himself stretch his stress out.

 

"I hear he's pretty good, you know. He directed for the Paris Opera House for a few years. Alec is no amateur," Jace said, snorting.

 

"You know him?" Magnus asked, his interest piqued. He sat up, spread his legs into a V position and stretched to the right.

 

"Yeah. I grew up with Alec and Izzy. We all went to the same fancy boarding school together in France," Jace said, a look of nostalgia crossing his angelic features.

 

Magnus looked at the golden haired boy with the shining golden eyes like he had just hung the moon. He thinks to himself that he may have found the perfect fix.

 

"And he's not tied up at the moment with another project?" Magnus asked, switching to his left side.

 

"Not that I know of. I mean, he just got back to New York less than a week ago. I don't really think he's had time to get tied up with anything else just yet," Jace replied, a smile stretching across his face.

 

"You seem to be close with him, even after all of these years," Magnus says as he moves to stretch in the center.

 

"Well, that might be because he's my roommate and my best friend. We are close," Jace said flippantly.

 

"Oh dear. It seems that I have slightly underestimated this, Alex," Magnus said.

 

"It's Alec, by the way, and yes, you have. He's very talented. He played first cello in the London Philharmonic until he decided directing was more his speed," Jace said, bragging on his friend.

 

"Hm. Interesting. I must give him a call," Magnus said, pulling his legs together and standing gracefully. He had a smirk on his face, as he headed to his office.

 

As soon as he closed the door, toed off his shoes, and got comfortable behind his desk, he saw a pink post-it note with Isabelle's curly handwriting all over it. It seemed to be some sort of makeshift business card that had a name, number, and email. Alec must be short for Alexander, as that was the name on this post-it. Magnus contemplated calling him and then weighed his options. He could call, text, or email. Email seemed a little too impersonal so he crossed that off of his mental checklist. Hmm. To text or to call? Magnus decides to just phone him, picking up his iPhone and dialing the number quickly.

 

"Hello?" A deep voice answered on the third ring.

 

"Yes, Hello. I'm sorry to call so out of the blue, but your sister mentioned you were an orchestra director. I happen to be in dire need of an orchestra director, and when my star ballet dancer and athletic trainer both sing of someone's praises, I simply must look into it," Magnus said, not noticing how his voice almost purred in response to the voice on the other end.

 

"Oh, uh, yeah. Izzy called me earlier and said I should be hearing from you soon," Alec responded in a very matter of fact tone.

 

"Yes, would you possibly be able to come by and speak with me? It's quite urgent," Magnus doodled on the back of the pink post-it, impatiently awaiting a response.

 

"Uh, yeah, sure. Sounds good. When?"

 

"As soon as possible. Within the week, preferably," Magnus said, pulling out a new pad of post-it's to write down his name and the date of which he will be arriving.

 

"Oh, well, I can stop by now. I'm about to head into the city and it would be on my way."

 

"That sounds great, Alexander. When you arrive just come up the stairs and the first door to your right is my office," Magnus said, hanging up without a goodbye. He didn't have time to mess around with young men that wouldn't take the job very seriously.

 

Magnus dug into the stack of paperwork on his desk while he waited. One wouldn't think that being the head of a ballet company meant this much paperwork; sadly, it did. He looked through a few files of potential new members and marked the ones that caught his eye with bright pink post-it's. He was just adding a note to one of the files when he heard a soft tap on his door. Looking up from his desk he came to be eye to eye with, perhaps, the most beautiful man he'd ever seen.

 

"Hi," Alec said, his cheeks turning pink.

 

"Why, hello, Alexander."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec gets finished moving in and gets a job all in the same day

-Alec-

Alec is finally unpacking the rest of his boxes into his room in he and Jace's new place. He smiled softly to himself thinking about how happy he was to be back home in New York.

 

Of course, Paris had been wonderful. It was full of tremendous opportunities, but New York was home. As soon as he'd landed and gotten his luggage, he and Jace headed off to get pizza. He hadn't had a heavenly slice of pizza since the last time he'd been home.

 

Pulling himself from his memories, he finished putting away his few measly items and flopped onto his bed. He's glad he didn't scrimp when the time had come to buy his furniture for the new place. He'd splurged and bought a queen sized mahogany bed frame with matching end tables and a matching dresser and desk. Although he adored the mahogany furniture, his favorite purchase had to have been the plush memory foam mattress. Every time he laid down it formed to his body and he couldn't get enough of it.

 

He begrudgingly forced himself to get out of the bed so he could put on his newly washed comforter. It was black silk. Alec will admit that it's a little fancier than he'd have liked, but his sister had picked it out. He couldn't deny that he had grown very fond of the cool material during these hot late summer nights, though. 

 

Alec may have picked out the furniture but Izzy had insisted on decorating his room. He looked around taking in the modern design she'd created. The black comforter looked beautiful against the dark wood.

 

Not only had she decorated it, she had arranged it as well. The large queen sized bed sat against the stone wall of the bedroom. His end tables had black lamps on them, one wall held a large collage of framed black and white photographs that Alec had taken while attending University, his dresser was against the end of his bed, and his desk and chair sat in the corner with a black lamp on top. It was minimalistic, just how Alec liked it.

 

He was pulled from his thoughts when his phone started to ring. Rolling his eyes and biting back a smile he answered it.

 

"Hey, Iz, what's up?"

 

"Alec, I think I found you your dream job," she said excitedly.

 

"That's highly unlikely."

 

"Our orchestra director just quit. She just decided she wasn't coming back and she left. I talked to Magnus and he said he'd meet with you," Isabelle said, her excitement getting the best of her.

 

"Aren't you guys, I dunno, like, two weeks out from an opening night?" Alec asked apprehensively.

 

"Uh, yeah. About that. We're in desperate need, Alec. If you wont do this for you please do it for me," She begged.

 

"I'll think about it. No promises," Alec said sighing. He'd directed at the Paris Opera House. He didn't have time to be toyed with. This was his career they were talking about and he didn't want to be anyone's last choice.

 

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you," She said before hanging up.

 

Chuckling softly, Alec got up and grabbed his music folder. He hadn't played anything in awhile, everything had been too hectic. He dug through his music until he found what he wanted and set it on his music stand.

 

He got himself, and his cello, situated and drug the bow across the strings, relishing at the vibration he felt under his fingers. This was his drug, his ecstasy. He played the Arabian Improvisations for Cello and let himself get lost in the short piece he was using for his warm up. He followed that with a Spanish Romance piece before he set in to his real conquest: The Dvořák Cello Concerto.

 

He played for what only seemed to be minutes but what must have been hours. The next thing he knew, Izzy was barging into his room to tell him about her day. Alec quietly fit his cello back into its case and tucked it away safely in his closet.

 

"He worked us nearly to death today, Alec," Izzy said, exhaustion apparent on her face and in her eyes.

 

"I'm sorry, Iz. It must be stressful dancing under a maniac," He said, completely astounded. He had thought she was overreacting until he'd seen her feet. They were bloodied and bruised, much more than normal.

 

Isabelle looked at Alec and tears started streaming down her face. Alec wasn't sure what to say, as he wasn't quite sure what the actual problem was. He just held her in his arms and let her cry it out.

 

"He's not a maniac. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me, Alec. Without him I'd be nothing," She said, sniffling, her raven waves falling out of her ballet bun.

 

"Don't say that. You're amazingly talented and you'd have caught a break. You don't need him. You don't need this," Alec said, taking her hand in his.

 

"Alec, I was nowhere near as good as I am now when Magnus first took me under his wing. He creates stars. He's not a maniac, he's just a lot to handle. He expects a lot from me because he trained me. It's just that it's especially difficult with the whole Raphael situation," she said, sniffling again and wiping her eyes free of tears.

 

"What exactly is the Raphael situation?" Alec asked, forgetting Izzy and Raphael were ever even an item.

 

"We broke up and he won't talk to me. He won't even look at me outside of work, and I can't say anything because I don't want to lose my position as lead. He's the best male dancer we have and he's Magnus' protege. He'd never force him to step down. And I just miss him, Alec."

 

"You don't need him. You can do this," Alec said, trying to reassure her. He picked up his baby sister and laid her down on his bed, noticing her feet were too sore to walk. He set her up against the head of his bedframe and took her small foot into his hand gingerly. He began to try and rub out the knots in her feet.

 

"Alec, you don't have to do that," Izzy said softly.

 

"I want to. You deserve it after the day you've had," he said, softly rubbing the soreness out of her tired feet. "Plus, you may have gotten me a job. I'm just repaying the favor."

 

"Thank you, Alec. You always know exactly what I need," she said, half asleep.

 

Alec had rubbed her achy feet until the muscles were all relaxed and then he'd washed off the blood as carefully as he could. He repositioned his baby sister in a more comfortable position and headed to the bathroom to wash his hands. As soon as he was toweling them dry he felt his phone buzz.

 

"Hello?" He answered, not bothering to check the caller ID.

 

"Yes, Hello. I'm sorry to call so out of the blue, but your sister mentioned you were an orchestra director. I happen to be in dire need of an orchestra director, and when my star ballet dancer and athletic trainer both sing of someone's praises, I simply must look into it," the caller said, although very to the point and matter of fact, Alec shivered because even over the phone, his voice was as smooth as velvet.

 

"Oh, uh, yeah. Izzy called me earlier and said I should be hearing from you soon," Alec responded in a very similar manner, wanting to cut to the chase.

 

"Yes, would you possibly be able to come by and speak with me? It's quite urgent."

 

"Uh, yeah, sure. Sounds good. When?"

 

"As soon as possible.Within the week, preferably," the man said, seeming to not want to waste any time.

 

"Oh, well, I can stop by now. I'm about to head into the city and it would be on my way."

 

"That sounds great, Alexander. When you arrive just come up the stairs and the first door to your right is my office," He said, hanging up without a goodbye.

 

Alec realized that he didn't even catch the man's name. Assuming it was Magnus, he walked out of the bathroom and grabbed his keys before locking the door and heading to the subway station. As Alec walked down the streets of New York City, he wondered why he'd ever left. As he let his mind wander he soon remembered exactly why he left and he pushed that person, no, that entire part of his life, out of his mind. Thinking about Sebastian right now was not good for him. Thinking about him ever wasn't good for Alec.

 

He rushed into the subway and swiped his metro card before hopping on the train that would hopefully lead him to a new part of his life. He grabbed a railing and the ride went by much quicker than he thought it would. As soon as he hopped off of the train he headed towards the ballet studio. He knew where it was because the last time he'd visited his family Isabelle and Alec had walked by it a few times too many. She always told her big brother of how she dreamed to dance for the NYC Ballet and look at her now, the leading lady. Alec was so proud of her.

 

His smile slid off of his face as soon as he walked through those doors. It was time for business. He walked up the stairs quietly and turned to the first door on the right. It was open and Alec could see a man, dressed in tight black leggings, a black tank top, and a thin maroon cardigan. He wasn't wearing shoes and Alec could tell from his feet that he was, or at least used to be, a dancer. This man, who he presumed to be Magnus, was hunched over a glass desk with a pen in his mouth. Looking at him took Alec's breath away. He was beautiful and nothing short of exotic. Magnus was obviously Asian but he was very tall, maybe even taller than Alec, it was impossible to tell. He was lean and had wiry muscles all over his body. In addition, his face was smooth and youthful and he had hair that was to die for. It was jet black, with a few strands of blonde in the front, and he had it slightly spiked and swept to the side. All Alec could think about was running his fingers through the man's hair. He silently chastised himself and mustered up the courage to softly knock on the door.

 

"Hi," Alec said, feeling a faint blush cover his cheeks as Magnus looked up at him.

 

"Why, hello, Alexander," Magnus purred, making Alec weak in the knees. He already knew he was really in for it this time, but it was too late to turn back now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus stresses out, as usual.

-Magnus-

Magnus' interview with Alec went quite well. He hired him on the spot, not having time to bother searching for someone else this late in the game. He assured his dancers that they had secured an orchestra director, for the time being, hoping this would calm all of the nerves that he could feel in the air during dance rehearsals.

 

Over the next few days Magnus drilled his dancers, perfecting every misstep and trip up. They were all exhausted, Magnus included, but this was necessary. Everything had to be perfect.

 

"Isabelle and Raphael, could I have a word in my office?" Magnus asked, picking up on the tension between them. "The rest of you, go over anything you need to with each other and then you can all go home. It's been a long week, and I know you're all exhausted." Magnus said, dismissing the rest of his dancers.

 

The trio walked up to Magnus' office in an uncomfortable silence. As soon as they were behind closed doors, Magnus was on them.

 

"What the hell is going on with you two?" Magnus asked pointedly. He was worried for them, but more importantly, right now, he was worried about how this would effect their performance.

 

"Um, no-nothing's going on," Isabelle said with a shaky voice. Magnus knew she was lying.

 

"I don't know what's going on, but it had better stop during rehearsals. I'm going to leave you two in here to discuss before resuming. Don't return to the ballet room until you've sorted everything out," Magnus said, closing the door behind him. He immediately heard Raphael's raised voice but he ignored it and headed back to the ballet room.

 

Magnus had a private lesson with Maia this evening and he figured it was best to get it over with now. He'd begun to let his mind skim over the list of things they needed to review this evening when he bumped into something.

 

Coming to his senses he realized that something was a person and that person was Alexander. Magnus didn't have time for this. Silently cursing himself he put on a show stopping smile and greeted him.

 

"Hello, Alexander. Terribly sorry for that, I've got a lesson to attend to," Magnus said, touching Alec's arm in passing.

 

"Oh, um, okay. Catch you around?" Alec said questioningly.

 

Magnus didn't have time to stand around and chat. He made his way to the dance room quickly, seeing that only Maia remained. She was sitting in the middle of the room stretching.

 

Magnus passed her on his way to the stereo and flipped it on before joining her. He spread his long legs apart, mimicking her movements. They both stretched to their left side, a piano rendition of We Can't Stop filling the air.

 

"How are you, my darling?" Magnus asked Maia, noticing she looked a little off of her game. Magnus was beginning to wonder if it was something in the water.

 

"I'm okay. Just a little stressed," She said, both her and Magnus switching to stretch to their right.

 

"What could you possibly have to be stressed about, my dear?" Magnus said, chuckling softly.

 

"Oh, just relationship drama. My boyfriend and I broke up and now I have to find a place to live. He said I could stay as long as I needed to but I have to get out of there. I can't keep making him sleep on the couch without feeling like a terrible person," She said, moving to stretch in the center.

 

"I'm sorry to hear that. I don't have time for a relationship, therefore I don't have time for the drama. I did see a flyer in the locker room the other day about someone needing a roommate. It may be worth looking into," Magnus mentions as he sits up.

 

"Yeah, maybe," Maia replies, getting up.

 

Magnus runs through all of her scenes from the ballet with her. He goes through it all with her move for move, shedding his shirt somewhere in the process. He does the dances with her, wanting her to take in every move of his body and commit it to her memory.

 

"You need to let more emotion come through. You are the black swan, my love. You need to play the part," Magnus says, gesturing for them to start from the top.

 

They practice for about an hour before Magnus is pulled from concentration by someone speaking. He looks turns around and spots Alec sitting in the doorway speaking to Isabelle. Alec must've been watching them.

 

"Isabelle, have you sorted things with Raphael? Maia and I are just finishing up here and we do still need to have our one on one lesson this week," Magnus said, gesturing for Maia to finish up as he walked toward the door.

 

"Yes. We've sorted things. I just need to run to the locker room to grab some things before we get started," Izzy said, walking towards the dancer's locker room.

 

"Make it quick," Magnus calls after her, turning his gaze to one very pink faced Alec. "Alexander, it's a pleasure to have you join us."

 

"I'm just waiting for Izzy. We take the subway together," Alec said, averting his eyes from Magnus' bare chest.

 

"How sweet. You're welcome to stay and watch. We'll be about an hour," Magnus said, turning from Alec and taking his place in the middle of the floor.

 

Soon Isabelle walked in and joined Magnus on the floor, readying herself to stretch. Magnus kept an eye on Alec as they stretched, relishing in the way his blue eyes raked over his body when Alec thought he wasn't looking.

 

"Okay, we are going to run this from the top. I'll stand in for Raphael," Magnus informed Isabelle.

 

"Okay," she said simply, nodding her head in agreement.

 

They practiced and Magnus danced around her, and with her, in only a way a mentor could dance with his student. They danced beautifully together and they knew it. Magnus' chest swelled with pride when he only had to make corrections a few times. Isabelle smiled and danced with ease, her earlier troubles seemed to have left the room.

 

"Alright, I think we should call it a day, love," Magnus said, grabbing a towel from the rack and dried off his sweaty chest.

 

"Thank you Magnus. I really needed this," Isabelle said, letting her hand rest on his arm for a moment.

 

"I know, darling. I know," Magnus said, pulling his best dancer into an embrace. Izzy melted into her teacher's arms, thankful that he always knew just what she needed. "Go home and get some rest. I can't have my star wearing out on me already."

 

"Okay, Magnus. See you tomorrow," Isabelle said, waving at him as she made her way to her brother, who was now standing in the doorway with her dance bag in his hand.

 

"Goodbye, Alexander," Magnus said, making his way out of the room.

 

Magnus just barley caught the sound of jumbled words leaving his beautiful mouth as he made his way up the stairs to his office. He sat in his desk chair and pulled off his dance shoes before tossing them in his bag. He quickly pulled on his tan UGG boots and slipped a white henley over his head.

 

As soon as he'd downed a bottle of water he grabbed his bag and made his way out the door and headed towards the subway station. He stepped through the doors of the train, barely making it in time.

 

Magnus sat on one of the seats, letting his legs rest. He caught a few people staring at him but he just assumed it was because of what he was wearing. He glanced down at his leggings and smiled. Sure, he was a little different, but that was okay.

 

The doors opened, pulling him from his thoughts. Magnus rushed out and headed in the direction of his loft. He was unbelievably ready to be watching reality TV on his couch with a glass of scotch.

 

In no time he was trudging up the stairs to his loft, dead tired. He unlocked the door and heard the jingling noise that signaled his cat was on its way to great him. He bent down and scratched Chairman Meow behind his soft ears before letting himself collapse on his couch, forgetting his need for a drink entirely, as soon as his butt hit the plush cushion. He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, settling on reruns of America's Top Model. Magnus relaxed for a few hours until his stomach started to gnaw at itself like a wild animal. Sighing, he rummaged through his bag until he found his phone. He could order takeout and never have to leave the comfort of his home. More importantly he wouldn't have to shower and change just to eat dinner. Magnus scrolled through the notifications and saw he had one missed call from A. Lightwood.

 

He pressed the button, letting the phone dial for him. It rang a few times before Alec picked up the phone.

 

"Hello?" A familiar voice answered.

 

"Alexander, you called?" Magnus said, muting the volume on the TV.

 

"Uh, yeah. I was wondering if we could get together sometime and discuss when we are going to start rehearsing with live music? I really need to get an answer back to my players," Alec said, very matter of fact, as always.

 

"Absolutely. Uh-" Magnus checked the time on his phone. It was only 6 pm. "Do you want to go grab a bite and discuss over dinner? I was just heading out and discussing during rehearsal time is just not an option," Manus said, realizing what this meant. He was going to have to shower and change after all.

 

"Oh, um, sure. What did you have in mind?" Alec asked, nervousness audible in his voice.

"There's a small Italian restaurant I know. It's nothing fancy but it's delicious. I'll text you the address. Meet me there at 7," Magnus said, hanging up the phone. He text Alec the address and begrudgingly made his way to his bathroom to shower.

 

He peeled off his clothes and stepped in, groaning when the hot water hit his sore muscles. He scrubbed quickly and was out of the shower in record time. As he wrapped a towel around his waist he plugged in the blow dryer on the sink. After Magnus had perfected his hair, he lightly lined his eyes in black and made his way over to his obscenely large closet. He rummaged for awhile but settled on something simple. Black skinny jeans, a baby blue button up, and dark brown Chelsea boots.

 

He squeezed into his jeans and slipped the silky shirt around his shoulders. Only buttoning it about 3/4 of the way and rolling the sleeves to his elbows, he layered a couple of necklaces over his bare chest. After giving himself a glance in the mirror he decided he looked nice, causal, even, and that was a rarity for Magnus Bane. He checked the time on his phone, grabbing his wallet and keys before locking up on his way out. He walked the short distance to the restaurant, surprised to see Alec already there when he arrived.

 

Magnus just studied him for a moment. He was in a pair of black jeans, surprisingly not two sizes too large, a dark gray Henley, and a pair of black timberlands. Someone else must've dressed him because he wasn't clad in faded jeans and a black T-shirt. Magnus made his way to the booth he was already sitting in, sliding in across from him. He noticed Alec was concentrating on a piece of paper before he looked up. He was met with Alec's ocean blue gaze, which nearly knocked the breath right out of his lungs.

 

"Alexander, good evening," Magnus said, smiling.

 

"Hi, Magnus," Alec said, a faint blush spreading across his porcelain skin.

 

"You wanted to discuss rehearsals?" he asked the younger man, raising an eyebrow.

 

"Oh, um, yes. Yes, I did," he said, a little too quickly.

 

"How are your rehearsals coming along, darling?" Magnus asked, loving the way he brought out Alec's nervous side.

 

"Great. They're going very well, thank you. I'd ask how dance rehearsals are going but I know from seeing you guys practice that they're going well," Alec said, rambling.

 

"Yes, dance rehearsals are going swimmingly," Magnus said, turning his attention to the waiter that just arrived at their table.

 

Magnus ordered his usual, chicken fettuccine Alfredo, and Alec opted for the ravioli. They sipped on their drinks as they waited for their meals and discussed rehearsal times. By the time they had finished their dishes, they'd planned to have 4 rehearsals with music, 2 full run throughs, over the next week. After they'd accomplished that feat there'd only be a few more days until opening night. Magnus ordered them a semifreddo dessert to share in celebration of their organization skills and teamwork.

 

Alec bit into the dessert and let out a moan that even he was embarrassed by. He blushed furiously, looking down at the table.

 

"It is quite delicious, is it not?" Magnus asks, a smirk playing across his lips. He wouldn't admit to anyone that this was his exact intention when ordering the dessert, not even himself.

 

"It-uh, yeah. It's really good," Alec said, his face returning to its normal fair shade.

 

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Magnus said, taking a bite off of his own spoon. He slowly licked the chocolate that started dripping out of his mouth. Chuckling quietly when Alec's face turned crimson, yet again.

 

He continues to torture Alec by eating his dessert as tantalizingly slow as he can. Magnus wasn't one to deny himself pleasure, and it pleased him immensely to shamelessly flirt with this extremely handsome man.

 

"As riveting as this evening's conversation has been, I must get going. I do have to be at the studio quite early in the morning," Magnus said, swallowing the last bit of his wine. He motioned for be waiter to bring the check and he immediately handed him his card.

 

"Hey- I could've paid for my half," Alec said, protesting.

 

"When you take a young man on a date you don't let him pay for his own meal, Alexander," Magnus said, smiling at Alec.

 

"Oh-uh.." Alec was at a loss for words. Magnus tucked a fifty dollar bill under his wine glass and stood up, gesturing for Alec to follow him. He made sure to grab his card on the way out as they made their way to the subway station, walking in silence. Every now and again their fingers would brush and Alec would jerk his hand away in surprise. Once they arrived Alec started to say something before the sound of the train arriving interrupted him.

 

"This is me. Goodbye, Alexander. I'll see you tomorrow for rehearsal," Magnus said, stepping through the doors leaving Alec speechless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus spend the day together at rehearsal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, guys. The editing process on this is ongoing. I don't have a beta to read through yet so I don't always catch things before I post it, even if I read through it three plus times. I also am going to try to shoot for every Thursday for uploading. I'm not sure that I will always be able to meet that goal, as I am enrolled in 17 credit hours this spring. Which is a lot. I am going to add little fun fact notes at the end of every chapter, starting with this one. Hope you guys like it!

-Alec-

Alec watched, in disbelief, as the incredibly beautiful man before him gracefully boarded the subway. He patiently waited for his train, smiling whenever he thought about Magnus. It wasn't until the train had made a second appearance that Alec realized he should've gotten on with Magnus when it had stopped the first time.

 

Blushing furiously, he boarded and grabbed a railing, opting to stand instead of sitting down. The subway to Brooklyn was quite empty this time of night. Alec let the memories of the evening wash over him and before he knew it, he was at his stop. He stepped across the threshold, his long legs gliding across the ground as he walked. Alec couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful Magnus looked. He was suddenly thankful that Izzy had been staying with them until she found a new place. He would've completely botched putting together any kind of sensible outfit. Before he knew it he was unlocking the door and heading towards the fridge. He grabbed a beer for him and Jace and made his way towards the couch, where he knew his friend would be seated.

 

"Hey, man, where've you been?" Jace asked, taking in Alec's attire.

 

"Magnus and I went to grab a bite to eat while we discussed scheduling rehearsals," Alec said, shrugging. In that moment, he was eternally thankful for the dimness of the room for hiding the flush that spread across his cheeks.

 

"He's something else, huh?" Jace asked, snorting at the mention of Magnus. He didn't even realize Alec was blushing.

 

"Magnus? Yeah. He's alright," Alec said, feeling his face betray him by smiling dopily. Alec cursed himself, not wanting to let Jace in on his crush for Magnus just yet. Luckily Jace was so absorbed in the idea of trash talking him that he didn't notice.

 

"He's killing his dancers. He runs them trough the ringer every single day and just expects me to clean up the mess," Jace complainer, taking a long sip from his beer.

 

"That's kind of how Ballet works, Jace. This isn't MMA training. Ballet dancers are even more serious about the craft and their coaches are drill sergeants. I got a taste of it when I was in Paris. My flat mate danced," Alec explained, amused by how much his best friend has to learn. "Don't you remember Iz drilling constantly to prep for her Juliard audition when we were teenagers?"

 

"Oh, yeah. I guess I do remember that, now that you mention it," Jace said, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "I just wish Magnus wasn't so hard on them. Izzy comes home exhausted every night. She barely makes it to the couch. As soon as she passes out I carry her to my bed, but she never remembers that."

 

"We both really appreciate you, you know? Without you Izzy and I would be slumming it at home with mom and dad," Alec said, giving Jace as thankful of a look as he could manage.

 

"Well, Raphael moved out about a month before you left Paris. I needed a roommate," he said, brushing it off.

 

"Well we're really lucky that we have you in our lives," Alec said, taking a long sip. "I'm gonna go to bed. Orchestra rehearsals have been kicking my ass."

 

Alec knocked back his beer and finished it in one swallow. He tossed it in the waste basket before retiring to his room to get some much needed rest before tomorrow.He peeled his clothes off and pulled on a pair of black athletic shorts before climbing into bed, relishing in the feeling of the cool fabric of his comforter against his skin. He settled in, letting the memory foam of his mattress do its job, before passing out completely. He dreamt of yellow eyes and a perfect smile, but he wouldn't admit that to anyone.

 

At 7:00 am his alarm blared, pulling him from sleep. Alec groaned and tapped at his phone, begging the noise to stop. He laid in bed for a few minutes before he forced himself to make his way to the shower. He let his tense shoulders relax under the scalding water. Alec wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there but the water started to turn cool. He swore and scrubbed himself clean before hopping out and wrapping a fluffy white towel around his waist. He quickly brushed his teeth and made his way back to his room, rummaging through his clothes. He had rehearsal with Magnus today and he didn't want to look he'd just rolled out of bed.

 

Alec settled on a black 3/4 sleeved shirt that hugged all of his muscles just the right way and paired it with the same jeans he wore to dinner the night before. He slipped his socked feet into his timberlands before grabbing his music bag and heading out the door. His subway was delayed so he decided to text Magnus.

 

_Hey, I may be a little late this morning. The subway had a delay and I have to stop for coffee or someone will end up suffering death by violin bow._

 

**Magnus: That's no problem. Thanks for letting me know :)**

 

_Want some coffee or tea maybe? Not sure what dancers drink :P_

 

**Magnus: Tea, early grey, would be wonderful. Thank you Alexander. You're my knight in shining armor x**

 

Alec blushed at the text message before pocketing his phone. A few seconds later the subway pulled up and he hopped on, a slight spring in his step. As soon as he'd stopped for coffee, and tea, he made a mad dash to the theater where they were rehearsing. He may have bumped into a few people on the way but that really wasn't what mattered right now.

 

"Sorry I'm late," Alec said, handing Magnus his tea before immediately turning towards his orchestra.

 

"We all know how you need your coffee. Trust us, we're fine with you being a few minutes late if that means we all get to keep our fingers intact," Simon, Alec's second chair violin, said jokingly, a dorky smile painted on his face.

 

"Right. Let's get moving. Everyone get yourself seated. I don't have the patience or energy to deal with any of your antics today," Alec said, taking a seat in one of the plush theater seats. He downed some liquid energy and immediately felt his grouchy mood begin to dissipate.

 

"Someone is quite the charmer in the morning," Magnus said, gliding towards him.

 

Alec watched as Magnus, the fucking epitome of grace, sidled up to where he we sitting and plopped down into the seat next to him. He even managed to make that look graceful. It made Alec sick. Alec glanced over him, seeing that he was dressed in his usual attire: Black leggings, dark grey tank top, and his signature red cardigan. He was wearing a tan pair of UGG boots but he had his dance shoes in his hand. Alec had always wondered why all of the dancers he knew wore UGG boots all the time but it had donned on him that they are plush and slip on. After a day full of dancing one probably wouldn't want to lace up a pair of stiff boots to walk around in.

 

"Not much of a morning person," Alec grumbled, realizing he'd been lost in thought. He drank some more of his coffee, hoping the double shot of espresso would start taking its job seriously.

 

"I have gathered that much just from observation, Alexander. I just wanted to thank you for the tea. It's nice to know someone's thinking about me every now and again," Magnus said, a small smile pulling at his lips.

 

"Don't mention it. I just figured since we're all here so early we could both use a little pick me up," Alec said, feeling the warmth of the coffee spreading through his body, or maybe it was the nerves. He wasn't quite sure.

 

"I appreciate it, nonetheless," Magnus said, standing up and heading in the direction of the stage. 

 

Alec watched him walk and couldn't help the thoughts that went through his mind. No one could look that good and expect anything different. Alec couldn't be held accountable, not really.

 

"Got the hots for the dance teacher?" Jace asked, startling Alec out of his dirty daydreams.

 

"What? No. When did you get here?" Alec asked defensively, a crimson blush creeping up over his cheeks, giving him away.

 

"Liar. I just got here. I could see you drooling over him from a mile away," Jace said, laughing.

 

"I wasn't-"

 

"You were. It's okay. Magnus is hot," Jace said, immediately cutting him off.

 

"Yeah. He is," Alec said, his mind wandering again.

 

"Hey, get yourself together. This rehearsal lasts, like, all damn day. Focus, man," Jace said, snapping Alec out of his thoughts.

 

"Right. Sorry," he said, standing up and making his way towards his players.

 

His orchestra was seated in their respective spots and he took his seat behind the podium.

 

"Okay, guys. Please don't embarrass me. I actually like my job, and I want to keep it," Alec told them, begging them to do well with his eyes.

 

"We've all been practicing and perfecting. Everything will go smoothly. It has to," Clary said.

 

Clary was his first chair violin. She and Simon, but mostly Clary, managed to ground Alec whenever he became nervous about their performance. They were his star players and he really couldn't argue with her. They all had been practicing really hard and they'd been sounding phenomenal during their last few rehearsals. The orchestra had made immense improvements since Alec had taken over. That wasn't him being arrogant, that was just a fact. They'd been undergoing more structured rehearsals and they'd each been given specific parts to work on to ensure perfection.

 

"Alright, guys. Let's do this," Alec said, waiting for the cue to begin.

 

The rehearsal went on for hours but it didn't feel like it by the time they'd reached their blocked off time for lunch. Alec climbed out from behind the podium and and was immediately greeted by Magnus.

 

"I was wondering if you'd want to order some takeout and eat here instead of taking off for lunch. There's a few things I'd like to discuss with you and I also need to have a talk with Jace. Would that be okay?" Magnus asked, already pulling out his phone.

 

"Yeah. That was my plan. I need to go over the notes I've written anyway," Alec said, nerves bubbling in his stomach at the thought of a lunch with his current crush and childhood best friend.

 

"Wonderful. We can meet on the stage. I need a word with my dancers really quick," Magnus said over his shoulder. He had started making his way to the mass of people before he'd even finished his sentence.

 

Alec chuckled and pulled out his phone, faintly hearing Magnus telling his dancers to make smart choices about lunch because they have another full run through after. Once Alec located the number to his favorite Thai restaurant, he placed his order. It wasn't located far from here so it shouldn't take too long to have it delivered. Alec made his way to the front of the theater building and waited. About 10 minutes later he'd had his food and headed back inside, making his way toward the stage. He noticed Jace sitting in one of the seats in front with a takeout container on his lap so he took a seat next to him.

 

"Thai? I feel like you eat that every day," Jace said, grabbing a piece of greasy pizza out of its container.

 

"I don't. I just eat it often," Alec said, defending his food choices.

 

"So who is that violinist? The one with the red hair? She's hot," Jace said, stuffing his face.

 

"Oh, Clary. She's my best player. A little feisty though. Her and Simon are basically joined at the hip. They're together, literally, all the time," He said, hoping to deter the inevitable. Alec liked Clary and he didn't want her to fall victim to Jace's trap. She deserved to be more than just a conquest. He loved his best friend, but he also was growing quite fond of the fiesty redhead.

 

"I might ask her out," Jace said, shrugging. He completely ignored Alec's words about her probably being taken.

 

"Don't play with her, Jace. She's nice and she deserves better than that," Alec said, hoping to talk time sense into his friend. Jace didn't get the chance to plead his case because Magnus took a seat next to Alec, getting straight to the point. 

 

"So, I think that went really well for our first full run through, don't you?" Magnus asked Alec, smiling slightly. 

 

"Uh, yeah. I think the orchestra is doing really well, as I'm sure the dancers are."

 

"They are doing phenomenal, actually. I am so proud of how far they've come these last two weeks. The extra rehearsal time has definitely paid off," Magnus answered, ignoring the snort that Jace made. 

 

"So, do you think we will have to make any stops during this next run through, or are we just going to see how it all pans out?" Alec asked, curious if they'd have to stop for corrections next time around. 

 

"I think I'm just going to let them run through it and see how well they do without any critique," Magnus said, looking at the stage thoughtfully while biting into his apple. 

 

Alec's mind wandered, against his will, as he watched him chew slowly. He admired Magnus' chiseled jaw from a profile view. He appreciated the long dark lashes that were currently resting against Magnus' cheekbones as his eyes were closed. Alec wasn't sure how long he'd been staring, but he was brought back to life when he'd heard Jace clear his throat and saw Magnus' lips turn up into a sly smirk all at once. He cleared his own throat, feeling a flush rise across his face, and rubbed the back of his neck. He was totally crushing on Magnus; totally and inappropriately crushing on his coworker. 

 

"So, Jace, I was wondering if you'd stick around after the rehearsal is over to show me how to wrap some ankles. I want to make sure I know what I'm doing, just in case you're not around," Magnus said, glancing at Alec from the corner of his eye. 

 

"Yeah, that's fine. I'm going to head out for a walk. This food is setting pretty heavy on my stomach," Jace said, wagging his eyebrows at Alec as he left them alone. 

 

"Alexander, I am very impressed by the immense improvements you've made to my orchestra," Magnus purred. 

 

"Oh, um, thanks?" Alec said, a questioning tone on his voice.

 

"You're quite welcome, darling. They're sounding wonderful. Better than ever, actually," He said. 

 

Alec's body teemed with nerves, his blush returning when Magnus referred to him as darling. Alec knew that he used pet names when talking to, quite possibly, _everyone_ he's ever met. That didn't mean that it didn't have an effect on him. He fiddled with his fingers, not sure what to say to keep the conversation moving. Luckily he didn't have to try because Magnus seemed to be prepared to carry on the entire conversation by himself. 

 

"Alexander, I quite enjoyed our dinner last night," he purred, letting his hand rest on Alec's forearm. Alec didn't shiver at his touch. At least that's what he was telling himself. 

 

"Yeah, uh, me too. It was nice to get out for a little bit," Alec said, his mouth turning up into a small smile at the thought of Magnus enjoying their time spent together. 

 

"We should definitely do it again sometime in the near future," Magnus said, smiling as he rose from his seat. He waltzed away from Alec, going only God knows where. 

Alec was newly energized as he strode towards his podium, seeing a few of his players had already made their way back to their seats. A few were talking quietly, some were practicing, some weren't back quite yet. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. It read 12:56, signaling that the lunch hour was almost over. Alec was anxious to get this run through over with. He wanted to make sure that his players had time to rest their fingers before their intensely long rehearsal tomorrow. 

 

"Alexander, we're starting from the top!" Magnus shouted, motioning for his dancers to get into place for the first scene. The rehearsal went fairly smoothly overall, Magnus only having to stop them a few times the second go around. They worked on things while Alec gave slight suggestions here and there to the orchestra. 

 

"Clary and Simon, make sure you're tuning together more carefully during this scene. You guys are getting a little flat," Alec suggested quietly, pointing to the line he was talking about in Clary's music. 

 

"I thought so too, I'm glad I'm not hearing things," Clary said, brow furrowed while she scribbled something onto her sheet music. 

 

"We can go over it a few times tomorrow, it's no big deal. The acoustics are just different here than they are in our music room. That's why we're doing this run through," Alec said, trying to encourage instead of discourage. 

 

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just hate having pitch issues while I'm playing. It makes me feel like I'm back in high school again," she said, sighing quietly. Simon put his hand on her shoulder and she seemed to relax immediately. Anyone would have to be blind not to see the way he looks at her, Alec thought to himself. He's so in love with her and she doesn't even realize it. Such a shame. 

 

"Okay, guys. I think we're about to wrap it up here. I will see you in the music room at 8:30 sharp. You're dismissed," Alec said, watching them all gather their music and put it into their folders and bags. He grabbed his own music and put it away before turning to leave. 

 

He wasn't quite paying full attention to where he was going, as he ran into Magnus. He felt his face flush. "I'm sorry, I should really watch where I'm going," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. 

 

"Don't you worry about me, darling. It's not every day that I get to have a handsome man's body pressed up against me, even if it is on accident," Magnus said, delighting in the way that Alec's cheeks flushed red immediately. 

 

"Oh, uh, um, okay," Alec said, looking at the floor. 

 

"I was wondering if you'd want to walk me to the subway, being the gentleman that you are?" Magnus asked, giving Alec a smile. Alec couldn't say no, even if he wanted to. Standing there with Magnus smiling at him like that had him feeling giddy. He would've done anything he asked him in that moment. 

 

"Uh, yeah. Th-yeah," Alec stuttered, turning with Magnus to head out the doors of the theater. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this has typos! Again, the editing process is ongoing at the moment. Also, my dog was forcing me to pet him while I was revising, so it's actually his fault. 
> 
> Fun fact about me so you can slowly get to know me a little better:  
> I am an Secondary English Education Major, seeking a creative writing minor, hopefully. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec gets a little awkward and a little bold while Magnus wallows in his feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m putting this up on time. Woo hoo! I wasn’t sure I was going to get it finished. I had an awful case of writers block. 
> 
> PS all mistakes are my own :)

-Magnus-

 

Alec and Magnus walked toward the subway station quietly, fingers brushing every few minutes. They both made occasional smalltalk with one another, not letting the silence linger long enough to become uncomfortable. Magnus was overly aware of how close they were to each other. He could feel the heat radiating off of Alec’s body.

 

Soon they arrived at the subway station and waited for their trains. Magnus was just checking his phone as his pulled up. He strode through the doors when they opened, Alec right behind him. Magnus was suddenly very confused. Last night they didn’t take the same subway, so why was he boarding the same train as Magnus? Was he following him? Magnus wasn’t sure but he figured he would at least try to find out.

 

“Um, Alexander, darling, are you sure you’re on the right train?” Magnus asked, giving him a pointed look.

 

“Oh, uh, yeah… about that. Last night- I was um, I got distracted and realized that I missed my train. I should’ve gotten on the same one,” Alec said, his cheeks turning a delicious shade of pink. He let his eyes fall to the ground and rubbed the back of his neck, the trademark actions of a nervous Alec Lightwood.

 

“Oh. Okay then,” Magnus said, smirking to himself. He and Alec stood side by side, fingers touching. Magnus could feel Alec’s eyes on him the entire ride to Brooklyn.

 

“This is me,” Magnus said, gliding towards the door.

 

“Me too,” Alec said, joining him with a nervous smile on his face.

 

“You live in Brooklyn?” he asked, confused.

 

“Uh, yeah. I do. Why is that surprising to you?” Alec asked, confused.

 

“I, uh, you just didn’t strike me as a Brooklyn kinda guy. More Manhattan, maybe. I don’t know,” Magnus said, shrugging his shoulders slightly as they made their way up the stairs and out of the subway station.

 

“My parents have lived in Manhattan my whole life. I only live in Brooklyn because of Jace, honestly. So, really, I guess you’re right,” Alec chuckled, shaking his head.

 

“That is a gift of mine, my dear Alexander. I am always right?” Magnus said, feeling a cocky smirk spread across his face.

 

Alec threw his head back in laughter. Magnus watched his smile spread across his face, saw his shoulders shaking with amusement. His laugh was uninhibited, a clear sound ringing through the cool outside air. It was such a beautiful sound to Magnus’ ears. He hasn’t heard such a genuine laugh in a very, very long time. Magnus took pride in the fact that it was him that could make Alec laugh like that. Even if it was over something as stupid as Magnus’ constant need to be right all of the time.

 

“Well, I’m glad that between the two of us, someone will always be right,” Alec said, the last bit of laughter leaving his system.

 

“Oh, Alexander, it won’t be someone, it will be me,” Magnus said, chuckling slightly.

 

“I’ll hold you to that, Magnus,” Alec said quietly, walking down the street with Magnus by his side.

 

“I hope that you do,” Magnus said, giving the younger man a flirty wink before continuing their walk in silence.

 

Magnus stole a glance, wanting to see just how Alec looked in that moment. He was beautiful, extraordinarily so. His inky black hair, messy as ever, falling against his forehead, eyes as blue as the most crystal clear regions of the ocean, his glasses falling down his nose, just a little, a five o’clock shadow dusting across his jaw, and a beautifully genuine smile stretching across his ridiculously perfect face. Magnus needed to get it together. He couldn’t be crushing on his orchestra director. He’d dated within the workplace before and it never turned out well, not for him, not for anyone.

 

Magnus cleared his throat, readying himself to speak. “Hey, this is me. I’d better get going,” he said, gesturing to the building they were approaching.

 

“Oh, yeah. Of course. Have a nice night, Magnus,” Alec said, lingering a second too long before making his way down the street.

 

Magnus watched him walk away. Alec had the most sculpted body he’d ever seen, long legs, toned core, shoulders to die for, and what looked to be a very firm bottom. He guessed living with a personal trainer had its perks. Maybe. Considering that said personal trainer was Jace, probably not. Magnus was pulled from his unpleasant thoughts of Jace when Alec turned around and met his gaze. He felt an uncharacteristic flush rise up over his cheeks. He was caught gawking like an idiot outside of his apartment building. He scrambled for his key and stumbled in the door, a little mortified, if he was being honest. Magnus didn’t get caught gawking, he caught the gawkers. Always. This was a bit unlike him, he would admit, irritably of course.

 

Magnus grumbled while he climbed up the stairs to his loft, ready to be alone in the dance room he built in the spare bedroom. As he opened the door Chairman darted towards him, rubbing against his legs. He bent down to scratch between his ears, feeling the feline purr as he rubbed his face against Magnus’ hands.

 

“Come on, darling. I’m heading to the dance room for a little bit,” Magnus said, walking towards the spare bedroom, gesturing for his cat to follow him. Unsurprisingly, Chairman followed him happily. He climbed into his little cat bed by the door and watched Magnus turn on the stereo. The room was filled with the sound of piano covers of modern songs. Magnus stretched until he felt loose and limber. He felt the tense feeling fall from his shoulders as soon as he started to dance. He was running through a routine he wanted to teach. He didn’t have any students that weren’t in his company at this point, but he was hoping he’d pick up a few here soon. He missed teaching more than he’d ever let himself think he would.

 

He let his body run through the motions, a piano rendition of Cheap Thrills sounding through the room. Magnus pirouetted, leapt, and turned, letting his body feel the music. He perfected every move, dancing until his knee just couldn’t take it anymore. Magnus swore, sitting down and massaging the pain out of his sore joint. He knew he couldn’t dance like he used to, not after his injury, but that didn’t stop him from trying.

 

Magnus picked up his phone, shut off the stereo, and made his way to the bathroom. He ran scalding hot water in his large tub, adding some bubbles and salts before peeling off the clothes that were stuck to his skin from sweat. Magnus lowered himself into the tub, hissing at the sting of the hot water. After a few moments the water felt nice and soothing. He played some piano music on his phone and leaned against the back of the tub. Magnus needed this, needed the time to relax. He was stretching himself too thin lately with rehearsals, paperwork, and choreographing his own original routines for future dance students.

 

Magnus was brought out of his trancelike state, very abruptly, he might add, when his phone rang. He nearly knocked it into the bathtub trying to get ahold of it, his fingers covered in suds. He looked at the caller ID. A. Lightwood. Smiling he answered the phone.

 

“Alexander, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Magnus asked, sinking lower into the tub.

 

“Um, I just wanted to know if we were going to go to the same theater for our short rehearsal tomorrow?” Alec asked, sounding nervous, as usual.

 

“Absolutely, my dear. What did you expect we’d be doing? Cramming into the dance room together? Although that may not be all bad if that means I’d get to be pressed up next to you,” Magnus said shamelessly, examining his polished fingernails that were still covered in small bubbles.

 

Magnus could hear the air catching in Alec’s throat as he choked, that only encouraged him further. He chuckled and continued the conversation. “Well, as much as I do love talking to you, this bubble bath isn’t going to enjoy itself, my dear.”

 

Another sharp intake of breath occurred before he finally responded. “Oh, uh, yeah. I’m sorry I bothered you for such a stupid question,” he said quietly. Magnus could only imagine the sad and discouraged look on his face.

 

“Never be sorry for bothering me, Alexander,” Magnus said. He could practically hear Alec blushing on the other end before he hung up the phone. Magnus proudly smirked at the bath water before settling in and letting it do its job.

 

By the time the water had started to turn cool he felt positively relaxed. He hoisted himself up out of the tub and wrapped a plush towel around his waist, feeling droplets of water run down his bare chest. Magnus sighed as he made his way to the sink. As he looked at himself he saw something he hadn’t seen in a long time. He saw happiness in its beginning stages. A slight smile was pulling at his lips, his eyes held a brightness to them that he hadn’t seen in himself for a very long time. He had to admit that he looked radiant. His skin was even glowing more than usual. All because of a certain dark haired man that had taken up residence in his life only a week ago.

 

Magnus forced his thoughts away from Alexander and the budding crush he had on him. He was far too distracting for his own good. He chuckled lightly and ran his hands through his damp hair as he walked towards his bedroom. His bed looked so inviting but falling asleep with wet hair was a terrible idea. He’d wake up looking like he’d been at a rave all night long, only returning 30 minutes before his alarm was supposed to go off. Magnus would not risk looking a mess.

 

After changing into his pink silk pajamas he returned to the bathroom to blow dry his hair, silently cursing his affinity for bedhead. Once his silky locks were completely dry, he ran his fingers through them, pushing the hair away from his face. Magnus decided he was happy with how it looked.

 

He made his way to the kitchen, opening his refrigerator and grabbing a bottle of wine. Magnus didn’t even bother grabbing a glass before popping the cork off of the bottle and finding his way to the couch. He stretched out over the plush piece of furniture and turned on the tv. Magnus flipped through the channels a few times before deciding on watching reruns of Face Off. He always got into this show, watching each of the contestants fight to create something even more out of this world than the next.

 

After downing about half of his bottle of wine and watching 3 episodes of Face Off, he unlocked his phone. He noticed a few social media notifications and a text message. He cleared them all and went straight to the message.

 

**A. Lightwood: I made an announcement to my players that we were going to be at the music room at 8:30 and that we would head to the theater around 10. It will give you guys some time to have the stage to yourselves and run through the things you need to before we get there.**

 

_Oh, good. We do need some time to run through things without music. Thank you, Alexander, for being so thoughtful. :)_

 

Magnus typed out his reply quickly, sending it with a smile on his face. He enjoyed the thought of getting to spend some uninterrupted time with his dancers tomorrow morning. He absentmindedly watched the reruns of Face Off, only thinking about Alec through about half of each episode. He was definitely growing fond of him quite quickly. In that moment Magnus decided he was going to befriend the older Lightwood. He wanted him in his life more permanently. If Alec decided he didn’t want to keep this position after the ballet was over, well, Magnus didn’t want to think about that.

 

He finally retired to his bedroom at about 10 pm, knowing he’d be wishing he’d gone to bed earlier in the morning.

 

-x-

 

Magnus woke to the sound of his alarm going off. Grumbling, he drug himself out of bed, far too early for his liking. He slowly made his way to the kitchen and put his kettle on the stove before grabbing a bagel and popping it in the toaster. He didn’t want to think about how long this day was going to feel with such little sleep.

 

He was brought back from his sleepy thoughts when his breakfast sprung up and out of the toaster. Magnus grabbed it, careful not to burn himself, and spread a thin layer of low fat cream cheese on the warm bagel. He heard his kettle hissing and he proceeded to fill a mug with the hot water before dropping an Earl Grey tea bag inside.

 

His mornings were getting quite monotonous. He ate the same thing for breakfast every day, drank the same tea, and followed the same routine. Magnus sighed thinking about how predictable his life had become ever since he took over the ballet. He used to go out and have fun. Now all he did was watch reruns of reality television shows he liked and drink alone.

 

After Magnus had been caffeinated and fed he made his way to his bedroom. He grabbed a form fitting white long sleeved shirt from his closet and a pair of black leggings from his dresser and tossed them on his bed before shedding the pink pajamas he currently wore. Magnus tossed them into his laundry basket and put on the clean clothes, feeling them hug his body in all the ways he wanted them to.

 

Checking the time, Magnus realized he needed to get going soon or he’d be late. He quickly brushed his teeth and ran some gel through his hair before sliding on his UGG boots and exiting his apartment, dance bag in hand. He made it to the subway just in time.

 

After what seemed like an agonizingly slow ride, he arrived at his destination. He quickly took the stairs up and out into the busy New York City streets. Pushing through the crowd, he made his way toward the theater. He arrived quite a bit quicker than he’d anticipated.

 

Magnus pushed the doors open and waltzed down the isles towards the stage. He climbed up the stairs and made his way to the center of the stage before sitting down on the edge, his long legs dangling over the top. He sat there patiently, waiting for the small group of dancers that were going to be attending today’s rehearsal.

 

Isabelle and Maia entered together, Raphael not far behind them. As they strode towards the stage, Magnus noticed something new. Isabelle and Maia were chatting animatedly with one another. This friendship was definitely a new development. He heard a bit of the end of their conversation as they approached him.

 

“-should definitely go take a look before we decide anything,” Isabelle said with a smile across her face and a look of excitement gleaming in her dark brown eyes.

 

“Yeah, totally. After rehearsal?” Maia asked, sharing her smile.

 

“Yes!” Isabelle said, clapping her hands together.

 

“Good morning, my sunshines,” he said in greeting as Raphael neared them. Isabelle and Maia replied happily while Raphael just grunted. He was always quite grumpy, Magnus thought. “Well, I say we just get to it. The orchestra won’t be here until 10 so we have the stage to ourselves without interruption,” He announced as his last gaggle of dancers quickly made their way to the stage.

 

They practiced for three hours until Alec and the orchestra arrived and began taking their seats. Magnus watched Alec grab his glasses out of his bag and set them atop his nose, squinting at different sheets of music before grabbing the right score and setting it out on his podium. Magnus thought he would go say hello, or at least that’s what he told himself as he sauntered over to the raven haired man. He seemed to be speaking intently with a redheaded violinist as Magnus approached him.

 

“Good morning, Alexander,” Magnus said after clearing his throat.

 

“Oh, um, good morning, Magnus,” Alec said, offering him a small smile.

 

“I hope you all are prepared for our rehearsal today.”

 

“They’d better be,” Alec said seriously.

 

“Well, I’d like to view from the audience so I will be hearing everything as a paying guest would. Don’t let me down,” Magnus said, smirking.

 

“Yes, sir,” Alec said, smirking back at him. Magnus was surprised at the boldness in his tone. Alec was usually quite reserved and very quiet. Smiling, Magnus made his way to the crowd and took a seat.

 

He watched his dancers perform their very best and he heard the orchestra sounding better than ever. There were few mishaps on stage and even fewer mistakes coming from the players. Magnus was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, he and Alec could pull this off without a hitch. He smiled at the thought of an opening night that went smoothly. He and Alec made a good team, that he knew without a doubt. Magnus hoped that Alec would stay and run his orchestra. He hadn’t known anyone better for the job.

 

As the practice came to an end at 1 pm, Magnus approached his dancers and congratulated them on a job well done before dismissing them. They all sighed in relief and grouped up as they usually did to leave the building. He saw the players filing out as well, some jogging to catch up with the dancers. Magnus felt his body taking him in the direction of a certain black haired man without even realizing it.

 

“Alexander.”

 

“Magnus,” Alec said, nodding in his direction while taking off his glasses and returning them to their case.

 

“I was wondering if you would want to go grab lunch?” Magnus asked casually with a friendly smile on his face.

 

“Yeah, that sounds great, actually. I’m starving,” He said, zipping up his bag and turning towards Magnus.

 

“I know this nice pizza place nearby. Very authentic,” Magnus said, looping his arm with Alec’s.

 

“By all means, lead the way,” Alec said teasingly.

 

They walked arm in arm towards Magnus’ favorite pizza place down the street. Magnus relished in the comfortable feeling they shared with one another. He could definitely see himself being very good friends with Alec if nothing else. The thought of getting to know Alec better made Magnus smile slightly.

 

They arrived quickly and Magnus picked a booth before plopping down. He was exhausted and he just wanted to sit down for awhile. Their server wasted no time in dropping off menus and taking their drink orders. They decided on sharing a pepperoni pizza, neither of them wanting to buy an entire pizza for themselves.

 

“How’d you find this place? It’s kind of a hole in the wall,” Alec said, taking a sip of his water.

 

“I was out and about with your sister after a private lesson, actually. I’d just gotten the call about the job I currently have and we wanted to celebrate. We were just walking around the city trying to find a place to eat and we just happened to stumble upon this place,” Magnus said, shrugging his shoulders.

 

“You and Izzy seem to be pretty close. She never told me much about you. Aside from the usual spiel about how she wouldn’t have such a successful ballet career if it weren’t for you.”

 

“Isabelle is very talented. I wouldn’t have this job if it weren’t for her and Raphael. I was sought for this position after putting on a particularly successful Firebird with the two of them as my leads.” Magnus said, smiling at the fond memories.

 

The conversation was cut short as their server brought them their pizza. They both dug in, not realizing how hungry they truly were after the long day of rehearsal. Magnus let out an unsavory sound when he bit into his slice, relishing in the deliciousness of the single bite.

 

“I shouldn’t be eating this but I can’t help it. This is the best pizza I’ve ever had in New York,” Magnus said, wiping a stray bit of pizza sauce from his mouth.

 

“It’s delicious. Definitely would make it into the top five best pizza places I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting,” Alec said, smiling.

 

They finished their pizza, their usual banter continuous and the conversation pleasant. Magnus found himself really enjoying the time spent with the younger man. He was silly and really funny when he let himself come out of his shell just a little bit. Magnus definitely wanted them to become friends. Obviously, he wanted more than that, but he was happy to settle for just friends right now. He’d settle for just friends if that meant he would get to keep spending time with Alec.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I’m obsessed with the Hamilton Sountrack. It’s all I’ve been listening to since thanksgiving.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is my first time writing on ao3! I'm a big fan of Malec and this work is just a fun piece so that I can practice writing! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have. It's not finished, it is ongoing, and I promise to update when I can. :) These first few chapters are pretty short. I hope to gain length as I go, but we will see!


End file.
